Compendium of scientific, medical & media findings demostrating risks & harms of fracking

8/20/2019 Compendium of scientific, medical & media findings demostrating risks & harms of fracking

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COMPENDIUM OF SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, AND MEDIA FINDINGS

DEMONSTRATING RISKS AND HARMS OF FRACKING(UNCONVENTIONAL GAS AND OIL EXTRACTION)

July 10, 2014

Introduction

Horizontal drilling combined with high-volume hydraulic fracturing and clustered multi-well pads are recently combined technologies for extracting oil and natural gas from shale bedrock.

As this unconventional extraction method (collectively known as “fracking”) has pushed intomore densely populated areas of the United States, and as fracking operations have increased infrequency and intensity, a significant body of evidence has emerged to demonstrate that theseactivities are inherently dangerous to people and their communities. Risks include adverseimpacts on water, air, agriculture, public health and safety, property values, climate stability andeconomic vitality.

Copyright: Les Stone


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The pace at which new studies and information are emerging has rapidly accelerated in the pastyear and a half: the first few months of 2014 saw more studies published on the health effects offracking than all studies published in 2011 and 2012 combined.2 In accordance, the Compendiumis organized in reverse chronological order, with the most recent information first.

Fifteen compelling themes emerged in reviewing the data, and these serve as the organizationalstructure of the Compendium. The document opens with sections on two of the most acutethreats — air pollution and water contamination — and ends with medical and scientific calls formore study and transparency. Readers will quickly notice the recent upsurge in studies makingeach section top-heavy with recent data.

The Compendium focuses on topics most closely related to the public health and safety impactsof unconventional gas and oil drilling and fracking. Many additional risks and harms arise fromassociated infrastructure and industrial activities that necessarily accompany drilling andfracking operations. These include pipelines, compressor stations, oil trains, sand miningoperations, cryogenic and liquefaction facilities, processing and fractionation complexes,import/export terminals, and so forth. While impacts from infrastructure are critically important

to public health and safety and while the Compendium refers to these impacts in certaininstances when studies covered have also addressed them, a detailed accounting of theseancillary impacts are not included in this document.

Given the quickly expanding body of evidence, the Compendium will be revised and updatedapproximately every six months. It is a living document, housed on the Concerned HealthProfessionals of New York website, and serves as an educational tool in the public and policydialogue. The studies cited in this first edition are current through June 30, 2014.

The Compendium was not a funded project; it was written utilizing the benefit of expertise andexperiences of numerous health professionals and scientists who have been involved in this issuefor years.

We welcome your feedback and comments.

About Concerned Health Professionals of New York

Concerned Health Professionals of New York (CHPNY) is an initiative by health professionals,scientists and medical organizations for raising science-based concerns about the impacts offracking on public health and safety. CHPNY provides educational resources and works toensure that careful consideration of the science and health impacts are at the forefront of thefracking debate. http://concernedhealthny.org

2 Mobbs, P. (2014). Shale gas and public health - the whitewash exposed. The Ecologist . Retrieved July 3, 2014,fromhttp://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2385900/shale_gas_and_public_health_the_whitewash_exposed.html


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Table of Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4

Air pollution .................................................................................................................................... 8

Water contamination ..................................................................................................................... 16

Inherent engineering problems that worsen with time .................................................................. 27

Radioactive releases ...................................................................................................................... 29

Occupational health and safety hazards ........................................................................................ 32

Noise pollution, light pollution and stress .................................................................................... 35

Earthquakes and seismic activity .................................................................................................. 37

Abandoned and active oil and natural gas wells (as pathways for gas and fluid migration) ........ 42

Flood risks ..................................................................................................................................... 46

Threats to agriculture and soil quality .......................................................................................... 48

Threats to the climate system ........................................................................................................ 50

Inaccurate jobs claims, increased crime rates, and threats to property value and mortgages ....... 55

Inflated estimates of oil and gas reserves and profitability ........................................................... 62

Disclosure of serious risks to investors ......................................................................................... 64

Medical and scientific calls for more study and more transparency ............................................. 66

* Note that for the purposes of this compendium, the terms “fracking” and “drilling and fracking”refer to the entire unconventional oil and gas extraction and distribution process, from well site

preparation to waste disposal and all associated infrastructure including pipelines andcompressor stations. Not every aspect of this process is fully addressed in the Compendium.

Executive Summary

Evidence of risks, harms, and associated trends demonstrated by this Compendium:

Air pollution – Studies increasingly show that air pollution associated with drilling andfracking operations is a grave concern with a range of impacts. Researchers havedocumented dozens of air pollutants from drilling and fracking operations that poseserious health hazards. Areas with substantial drilling and fracking build-out show highlevels of ozone, striking declines in air quality, and, in several cases, increased rates ofhealth problems with known links to air pollution.

Water contamination – The emerging science has significantly strengthened the casethat drilling and fracking inherently threaten groundwater. A range of studies from acrossthe United States present strong evidence that groundwater contamination occurs and is


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more likely to occur close to drilling sites. Likewise, the number of well blowouts, spillsand cases of surface water contamination has steadily grown. Meanwhile, the gasindustry’s use of “gag orders,” non-disclosure agreements and settlements impedescientific study and stifle public awareness of the extent of these problems.

Inherent engineering problems that worsen with time – Studies and emerging dataconsistently show that oil and gas wells routinely leak, allowing for the migration ofnatural gas and potentially other substances into groundwater and the atmosphere.Leakage from faulty wells is an issue that the industry has identified and for which it hasno solution. For instance, Schlumberger, one of the world’s largest companiesspecializing in fracking, published an article in its magazine in 2003 showing that aboutfive percent of wells leak immediately, 50 percent leak after 15 years and 60 percent leakafter 30 years. Data from Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)also confirm these initial leakage rates, with a six percent structural integrity failure rateobserved for shale gas wells drilled in 2010, 7.1 percent observed for wells drilled in2011, and 8.9 percent observed for wells drilled in 2012. Leaks pose serious risks

including potential loss of life or property from explosions and the migration of gas orother chemicals into drinking water supplies. Leaks also allow methane to escape into theatmosphere, where it acts as a powerful greenhouse gas. There is no evidence to suggestthat the problem of cement and well casing impairment is abating. Indeed, a 2014analysis of more than 75,000 compliance reports for more than 41,000 wells inPennsylvania found that newer wells have higher leakage rates and that unconventionalshale gas wells leak more than conventional wells drilled within the same time period.Industry has no solution for rectifying the chronic problem of well casing leakage.

Radioactive releases – High levels of radiation documented in fracking wastewater raisespecial concerns in terms of impacts to groundwater and surface water. Studies have

indicated that the Marcellus Shale is more radioactive than other shale formations.Measurements of radium in fracking wastewater in New York and Pennsylvania have been as high as 3,600 times the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) limit for drinking water. One recent study found toxic levels of radiation in aPennsylvania waterway even after fracking wastewater was disposed of through anindustrial wastewater treatment plant. In addition, the disposal of radioactive drillcuttings is a concern. Unsafe levels of radon and its decay products in natural gas produced from the Marcellus Shale, known to have particularly high radon content, mayalso contaminate pipelines and compressor stations, as well as pose risks to end-userswhen allowed to travel into homes.

Occupational health and safety hazards – Fracking jobs are dangerous jobs.Occupational hazards include head injuries, traffic accidents, blunt trauma, burns, toxicchemical exposures, heat exhaustion, dehydration, and sleep deprivation. As a group, oiland gas industry workers have an on-the-job fatality rate seven times that of otherindustries. Exposure to silica dust, which is definitively linked to silicosis and lungcancer, was singled out by National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health as a particular threat to workers in fracking operations where silica sand is used. At the sametime, research shows that many gas field workers, despite these serious occupational

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/risks.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/risks.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/risks.htmlhttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/oilgas/risks.html


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hazards, are uninsured or underinsured and lack access to basic medical care.

Noise pollution, light pollution and stress – Drilling and fracking operations andancillary infrastructure expose workers and nearby residents to continuous noise and light pollution that is sustained for periods lasting many months. Chronic exposure to light at

night is linked to adverse health effects, including breast cancer. Sources of fracking-related noise pollution include blasting, drilling, flaring, generators, compressor stationsand truck traffic. Exposure to environmental noise pollution is linked to cardiovasculardisease, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbance. Workers and residents whosehomes, schools and workplaces are in close proximity to well sites are at risk from theseexposures as well as from related stressors.

Earthquake and seismic activity – A growing body of evidence links frackingwastewater injection (disposal) wells to earthquakes of magnitudes as high as 5.7, inaddition to “swarms” of minor earthquakes and fault slipping. In some cases, the fracking process itself has been linked to earthquakes and seismic activity, including instances in

which gas corporations have acknowledged the connection. In New York, this issue is of particular concern to New York City’s aqueduct-dependent drinking water supply andwatershed infrastructure, as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection(NYC DEP) has warned repeatedly, but similar concerns apply to all drinking waterresources. The question of what to do with wastewater remains a problem with no viable,safe solution.

Abandoned and active oil and natural gas wells (as pathways for gas and fluid

migration) – Millions of abandoned and undocumented oil and gas wells exist across theUnited States, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. All serve as potential pathways for pollution, heightening the risks of groundwater contamination and other

problems when horizontal drilling and fracking operations intersect with pre-existingvertical channels leading through drinking water aquifers and to the atmosphere. Industryexperts, consultants and government agencies including the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency, the U.S. General Accounting Office (now the GovernmentAccountability Office), Texas Department of Agriculture, New York State Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the British Columbia Oil and GasCommission have all warned about problems with abandoned wells due to the potentialfor pressurized fluids and gases to migrate through inactive and in some cases, activewells.

Flood risks –

Massive land clearing and forest fragmentation that necessarily accompanywell site preparation increase erosion and risks for catastrophic flooding, as do accessroads, pipeline easements and other related infrastructure. In addition, in some cases,operators choose to site well pads on flood-prone areas in order to have easy access towater for fracking, to abide by setback requirements intended to keep well pads awayfrom inhabited buildings, or to avoid productive agricultural areas. In turn, floodingincreases the dangers of unconventional gas extraction, resulting in the contamination ofsoils and water supplies, the overflow or breaching of containment ponds, and the escape


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of chemicals and hazardous materials. In at least six of the past ten years, New York Statehas experienced serious flooding in parts of the state targeted for drilling and fracking.Some of these areas have been hit with “100-year floods” in five or more of the past tenyears. Gas companies acknowledge threats posed by flooding, and the New York StateDepartment of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has recommended drilling be

prohibited from 100-year flood areas; however, accelerating rates of extreme weatherevents make existing flood maps obsolete, making this approach insufficiently protective.

Threats to agriculture and soil quality – Drilling and fracking pose risks to theagricultural industry. Studies and case reports from across the country have highlightedinstances of deaths, neurological disorders, aborted pregnancies, and stillbirths in cattleand goats associated with livestock coming into contact with wastewater. Potential waterand air contamination puts soil quality as well as livestock health at risk. Additionally,farmers have expressed concern that nearby fracking operations can hurt the perceptionof agricultural quality and nullify value-added organic certification.

Threats to the climate system –

A range of studies have shown high levels of methaneleaks from gas drilling and fracking operations, undermining the notion that natural gas isa climate solution or a transition fuel. Major studies have concluded that early work bythe EPA greatly underestimated the impacts of methane and natural gas drilling on theclimate. Drilling, fracking and expanded use of natural gas threaten not only toexacerbate climate change but also to stifle investments in, and expansion of, renewableenergy.

Inaccurate jobs claims, increased crime rates, and threats to property value and

mortgages – Experiences in various states and accompanying studies have shown thatthe oil and gas industry’s promises for job creation from drilling for natural gas have

been greatly exaggerated and that many of the jobs are short-lived and/or have gone toout-of-area workers. With the arrival of drilling and fracking operations, communitieshave experienced steep increases in rates of crime – including sexual assault, drunkdriving, drug abuse, and violent victimization, all of which carry public healthconsequences. Social costs include strain on municipal services and road damage.Economic analyses have found that drilling and fracking operations threaten propertyvalues. Additionally, gas drilling and fracking pose an inherent conflict with mortgagesand property insurance due to the hazardous materials used and the associated risks.

Inflated estimates of oil and gas reserves and profitability – Industry estimates of oil

and gas reserves and profitability of drilling have proven unreliable, casting serious

doubts on the bright economic prospects the industry has painted for the public, mediaand investors. Increasingly, well production has been short-lived, which has ledcompanies to reduce the value of their assets by billions of dollars.

Disclosure of serious risks to investors – Oil and gas companies are required to discloserisks to their investors in an annual Form 10-K. Those disclosures acknowledge theinherent dangers posed by gas drilling and fracking operations, including leaks, spills,explosions, blowouts, environmental damage, property damage, injury and death.


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Adequate protections have not kept pace with these documented dangers and inherentrisks.

Medical and scientific calls for more study and more transparency – With increasingurgency, groups of medical professionals and scientists are issuing calls forcomprehensive, long-term study of the full range of the potential health and ecosystemeffects of drilling and fracking. These appeals underscore the accumulating evidence ofharm, point to the major knowledge gaps that remain, and denounce the atmosphere ofsecrecy and intimidation that continues to impede the progress of scientific inquiry.Health professionals and scientists in the United States and around the world have urgedtighter regulation of and in some cases, suspension of unconventional gas and oilextraction activities in order to limit, mitigate or eliminate its serious, adverse publichealth hazards.

Compilation of Studies & Findings

Air pollution

June 26, 2014 – Public health professionals at the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental

Health Project reported significant recurrent spikes in the amount of particulate matter in

the air inside of residential homes located near drilling and fracking operations. Captured

by indoor air monitors, the spikes tend to occur at night when stable atmospheric

conditions hold particulate matter low to the ground. Director Raina Ripple emphasized

that spikes in airborne particulate matter are likely to cause acute health impacts in

community members. She added, “What the long term effects are going to be, we’re not

certain.” At this writing, r esearchers from Yale University and the University of

Washington are working to collect and analyze more samples.3

May 21, 2014 – Raising questions about possible links to worsening air pollution from

the Uintah Basin’s 11,200 oil and gas wells, health professionals reported that infant

deaths in Vernal, Utah, rose to six times the normal rate over the past three years.

Physician Brian Moench said, “We know that pregnant women who breathe more air

pollution have much higher rates of virtually every adverse pregnancy outcome that

exists….And we know that this particular town is the center of an oil and gas boom that’s

been going on for the past five or six years and has uniquely high particulate matter and

3 McMahon, J. (2014, June 26). Air Pollution Spikes In Homes Near Fracking Wells. Forbes. Retrieved July 4,2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2014/06/26/air-pollution-spikes-in-homes-near-fracking-wells/


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high ozone.”4 With air quality that was formerly pristine, Uintah County, Utah received a

grade “F” for ozone in the American Lung Association’s 2013 State of the Air Report,

with 27.3 more high ozone days than 2007.5

May 8, 2014 – Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) found high levels of methane leaks as well as benzene and smog-formingvolatile organic compounds in the air over oil and gas drilling areas in Colorado.

Researchers found methane emissions three times higher than previously estimated and

benzene and volatile organic compound levels seven times higher than estimated by

government agencies. The Denver Post noted that Colorado’s Front Range has failed to

meet federal ozone air quality standards for years.6

April 26, 2014 – A Texas jury awarded a family $2.8 million because, according to the

lawsuit, a fracking company operating on property nearby had “created a ‘ private

nuisance’ by producing harmful air pollution and exposing [members of the affected

family] to harmful emissions of volatile organic compounds, toxic air pollutants anddiesel exhaust.” The family’s 11-year-old daughter became ill, and family members

suffered a range of symptoms, including “nosebleeds, vision problems, nausea, rashes,

blood pressure issues.”7 Because drilling did not occur on their property, the family had

initially been unaware that their symptoms were caused by activities around them.

April 16, 2014 – Reviewing the peer-review literature to date of “direct pertinence to the

environmental public health and environmental exposure pathways,” a U.S. team of

researchers concluded: “[a] number of studies suggest that shale gas development

contributes to levels of ambient air concentrations known to be associated with increased

risk of morbidity and mortality.”8

April 11, 2014 – A modeling study commissioned by the state of Texas made striking

projections about worsening air quality in the Eagle Ford Shale. Findings included the

possibility of a 281 percent increase in emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Some VOCs cause respiratory and neurological problems; others, like benzene, are also

carcinogens. Another finding was that nitrogen oxides — which react with VOCs in

4 S Schlanger, Z. (2014, May 21). In Utah boom town, a spike in infant deaths raises questions. Newsweek .Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/30/utah-boom-town-spike-infant-deaths-raises-

questions-251605.html5 American Lung Association. (2013). American Lung Association state of the air 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2014,from http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/states/utah/uintah-49047.html6 Finley, B. (2014, May 8). Scientists flying over Colorado oil boom find worse air pollution. The Denver Post .Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_25719742/scientists-flying-over-colorado-oil-boom-find-worse7 Morris, J. (2014, April 26). Texas family plagued with ailments gets $3M in 1st-of-its-kind fracking judgment.CNN . Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/25/justice/texas-family-wins-fracking-lawsuit/8 Shonkoff, S. B., Hays, J., & Finkel, M. L. (2014). Environmental public health dimensions of shale and tight gasdevelopment [Abstract]. Environmental Health Perspectives. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1307866


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sunlight to create ground-level ozone, the main component of smog — increased 69

percent during the peak ozone season.”9

March 29, 2014 – Scientists warn that current methods of collecting and analyzingemissions data do not accurately assess health risks. Researchers with the Southwest

Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project showed that methods do not adequatelymeasure the intensity, frequency or durations of community exposure to the toxicchemicals routinely released from drilling and fracking activities. They found thatexposures may be underestimated by an order of magnitude, mixtures of chemicals arenot taken into account, and local weather conditions and vulnerable populations areignored.10

March 27, 2014 – University of Texas research pointed to “potentially false assur ances”in response to community health concerns in shale gas development areas. Dramaticshortcomings in air pollution monitoring to date include no accounting for cumulativetoxic emissions or children’s exposures during critical developmental stages, and the

potential interactive effects of mixtures of chemicals. Chemical mixtures of concerninclude benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes.1112

March 13, 2014 – Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted in Utah’s heavily drilledUintah Basin led to 39 winter days exceeding the EPA’s eight-hour National Ambient AirQuality Standards level for ozone pollutants the previous winter. “Levels above thisthreshold are considered to be harmful to human health, and high levels of ozone areknown to cause respiratory distress and be responsible for an estimated 5,000 prematuredeaths in the U.S. per year,” according to researchers at the University of Colorado. Theirobservations “reveal a strong causal link between oil and gas emissions, accumulation ofair toxics, and significant production of ozone in the atmospheric surface layer.”13

Researchers estimated that total annual VOC emissions at the fracking sites areequivalent to those of about 100 million cars.14

9 Morris, J., Song, L., & Hasemayer, D. (2014, April 11). Report: Air quality to worsen in Eagle Ford shale. TheTexas Tribune. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.texastribune.org/2014/04/11/report-air-quality-worsen-eagle-ford-shale/10 Brown, D., Weinberger, B., Lewis, C., & Bonaparte, H. (2014). Understanding exposure from natural gas drilling puts current air standards to the test. Reviews on Environmental Health, 0(0). doi: 10.1515/reveh-2014-000211 Rawlins, R. (2013). Planning for fracking on the Barnett shale: Urban air pollution, improving health basedregulation, and the role of local governments. Virginia Environmental Law Journal, 31, 226-306. Retrieved June 10,

2014, from http://www.velj.org/uploads/1/2/7/0/12706894/2._rawlins_-_barnett_shale.pdf12 University of Texas at Austin. (2014, March 27). Air pollution and hydraulic fracturing: Better monitoring, planning and tracking of health effects needed in Texas. Retrieved June 10, 2014, fromhttp://www.utexas.edu/news/2014/03/27/hydraulic-fracturing-texas/13 Helmig, D., Thompson, C. R., Evans, J., Boylan, P., Hueber, J., & Park, J. (2014). Highly elevated atmosphericlevels of volatile organic compounds in the Uintah Basin, Utah [Abstract]. Environmental Science & Technology, 48(9), 4707-4715. doi: 10.1021/es405046r14 Lockwood, D. (2014, March 25). Harmful air pollutants build up near oil and gas fields. Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/web/2014/03/Harmful-Air-Pollutants-Build- Near.html


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March 3, 2014 – In a report summarizing “the current understanding of local and regionalair quality impacts of natural gas extraction, production, and use,” a group of researchersfrom the NOAA, Stanford, Duke, and other institutions described what is known andunknown with regard to air emissions including greenhouse gases, ozone precursors(volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides), air toxics, and particulates. Crystalline

silica was also discussed, including as a concern for people living near well pads and production staging areas.15

February 18, 2014 – An eight-month investigation by the Weather Channel , Center for

Public Integrity and InsideClimate News into fracking in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas

revealed that fracking is “releasing a toxic soup of chemicals into the air.” They noted

very poor monitoring by the state of Texas and reported on hundreds of air complaints

filed relating to air pollution associated with fracking.16

January 28, 2014 – Congenital heart defects and possibly neural tube defects in babieswere associated with the density and proximity of natural gas wells within a 10-mile

radius of mothers’ residences in a study of almost 25,000 births from 1996-2009 in ruralColorado. The researchers note that natural gas development emits several chemicalsknown to increase risk of birth defects (teratogens).17

January 4, 2014 – As summarized by Bloomberg View Editorial Board’s MarkWhitehouse, preliminary data from researchers at Princeton University, ColumbiaUniversity and MIT showed elevated rates of low birthweight among infants born tomothers living near drilling and fracking operations during their pregnancies.18

December 18, 2013 – An interdisciplinary group of researchers in Texas collected air

samples in residential areas near shale gas extraction and production, going beyond

previous Barnett Shale studies by including emissions from the whole range of production equipment. They found that most areas had “atmospheric methaneconcentrations considerably higher than reported urban background concentrations,” and

many toxic chemicals were “strongly associated” with compressor stations.19

December 10, 2013 – Health department testing at fracking sites in West Virginiarevealed dangerous levels of benzene in the air. Wheeling-Ohio County HealthDepartment Administrator Howard Gamble stated, “The levels of benzene really pop out.

15 Moore, C. W., Zielinska, B., Petron, G., & Jackson, R. B. (2014). Air impacts of increased natural gas acquisition, processing, and use: A critical review. Environmental Science & Technology. doi: 10.1021/es4053472

16 Morris, J., Song, L., & Hasemayer, D. (2014, February 18). Fracking the Eagle Ford Shale. The Weather Channel .Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://stories.weather.com/fracking17 McKenzie, L. M., Guo, R., Witter, R. Z., Savitz, D. A., Newman, L. S., & Adgate, J. L. (2014). Birth outcomesand maternal residential proximity to natural gas development in rural Colorado. Environmental Health Perspectives, 122, 412-417. doi: 10.1289/ehp.130672218 Whitehouse, M. (2014, January 4). Study shows fracking is bad for babies. Bloomberg . Retrieved June 10, 2014,from http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-01-04/study-shows-fracking-is-bad-for-babies19 Rich, A., Grover, J. P., & Sattler, M. L. (2014). An exploratory study of air emissions associated with shale gasdevelopment and production in the Barnett Shale. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 64(1), 61-72. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2013.832713


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The amounts they were seeing were at levels of concern. The concerns of the public arevalidated.”20

October, 2013 – A preliminary 2013 Cornell University study of the health impacts of oiland gas extraction on infant health in Colorado found that proximity to wells — linkedwith air pollutants from fracking operations — was associated with reductions in average birthweight and length of pregnancy as well as increased risk for low birthweight and premature birth.21 A study by the same author, currently under review, analyzed births toPennsylvania mothers residing close to a shale gas well in Pennsylvania from 2003-2010also identified increased risk of adverse effects. This includes low birth weight, as well asa 26% increase in APGAR scores under 8 (APGAR — or American Pediatric GrossAssessment Record — is a measure of newborn responsiveness. Scores of less than 8 predict an increase in the need for respiratory support).22

October 11, 2013 – Air sampling before, during, and after drilling and fracking of a newnatural gas well pad in rural western Colorado documented the presence of the toxicsolvent methylene chloride, along with several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

at “concentrations greater than those at which prenatally exposed children in urbanstudies had lower developmental and IQ scores.”23

September 19, 2013 – In Texas, air monitoring data in the Eagle Ford Shale area revealed potentially dangerous exposures of nearby residents to hazardous air pollutants, includingcancer-causing benzene and the neurological toxicant, hydrogen sulfide.24

September 13, 2013 – A study by researchers at the University of California at Irvine

found dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds in Canada's “Industrial Heartland” where there are more than 40 oil, gas and chemical facilities. The researchers noted highlevels of hematopoietic cancers (leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) in men who

live closer to the facilities.25

20 Junkins, C. (2013, December 10). Health dept. concerned about benzene emissions near local gas drilling sites.The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register . Retrieved June 10, 2014, fromhttp://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/593209/Health-Dept--Concerned-About-Benzene-Emissions- Near-Local-Gas-Drilling-Sites.html?nav=51021 Hill, E. L. (2013, October). The impact of oil and gas extraction on infant health in Colorado. Retrieved June 10,2014, from http://www.elainelhill.com/research22 Hill, E.L. (2013, December). Shale Gas Development and Infant Health: Evidence from Pennsylvania (under

review). Retrieved June 23, 2014 from http://www.elainelhill.com/research.23 Colborn, T., Schultz, K., Herrick, L., & Kwiatkowski, C. (2014). An Exploratory Study of Air Quality Near Natural Gas Operations. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 20(1), 86-105. doi:10.1080/10807039.2012.74944724 Wilson, S., Sumi, L., & Subra, W. (2013, September 19). Reckless endangerment while fracking the Eagle Fordshale. Earthworks. Retrieved June 10, 2014, fromhttp://www.earthworksaction.org/library/detail/reckless_endangerment_in_the_eagle_ford_shale#.UkGi-4Y3uSo.25 Blake, D. R. Air quality in the Industrial Heartland of Alberta, Canada and potential impacts on human health. Atmospheric Environment , 702-709. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://concernedhealthny.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Simpson2013-AE-in-press.pdf


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August 26, 2013 – Medical experts at a rural clinic in heavily drilled Washington County,PA reported case studies of 20 individuals with acute symptoms consistent with exposureto air contaminants known to be emitted from local fracking operations.26, 27

May 2, 2013 – Reports of symptoms commonly linked to exposure to elevated levels ofground-level ozone associated with gas drilling have been documented in shale-heavystates. In Pennsylvania in 2012, a study of more than 100 state residents living near gasfacilities found that reported health symptoms closely matched the scientificallyestablished effects of chemicals detected through air and water testing at those nearbysites, and that those negative health effects occurred at significantly higher rates inhouseholds closer to the gas facilities than those further away.28 Indicative of thegrowing prevalence of such health impacts in the state, a poll showed that two-thirds ofPennsylvanians support a moratorium on fracking because of concern about negativehealth impacts.29

April 29, 2013 – Using American Lung Association data, researchers with theEnvironmental Defense Fund determined that air quality in rural areas with fracking was

worse than air quality in urban areas.30

March, 2013 – A review of regional air quality damages in parts of Pennsylvania in 2012from Marcellus Shale development found that air pollution was a significant concern,with regional damages ranging from $7.2 to $32 million dollars in 2011.31

February 27, 2013 – In a letter from Concerned Health Professionals of New York toGovernor Andrew Cuomo, a coalition of hundreds of health organizations, scientists,medical experts, elected officials and environmental organizations noted serious healthconcerns about the prospects of fracking in New York State, making specific note of air pollution.32 Signatory organizations included the American Academy of Pediatrics of

New York, the American Lung Association of New York and Physicians for Social

26 Abrams, L. (2013, August 26). Fracking’s real health risk may be from air pollution. Salon. Retrieved June 10,2014, from http://www.salon.com/2013/08/26/frackings_real_health_risk_may_be_from_air_pollution/27 Dyrszka, L., Nolan, K., & Steingraber, S. (2013, August 27). Statement on preliminary findings from theSouthwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project study. Press release. Concerned Health Professionals of NY.Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://concernedhealthny.org/statement-on-preliminary-findings-from-the-southwest- pennsylvania-envir...28 Steinzor, N., Subra, W., & Sumi, L. (2013). Investigating Links between Shale Gas Development and HealthImpacts Through a Community Survey Project in Pennsylvania. NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmentaland Occupational Health Policy, 23(1), 55-83. doi: 10.2190/NS.23.1.e29 Phillips, S. (2013, May 14). Poll shows support for a drilling moratorium in Pennsylvania. StateImpact . Retrieved

June 10, 2014, from http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2013/05/14/poll-shows-support-for-a-drilling-moratorium-in-pennsylvania/30 Grossman, D. (2013, April 29). Clean air report card: CO, WY Counties get F's due to oil and gas pollution. Environmental Defense Fund . Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://blogs.edf.org/energyexchange/2013/04/29/clean-air-report-card-co-wy-counties-get-fs-due-to-oil-and-gas-pollution/#sthash.FXRV6Nxi.dpuf31 Litovitz, A., Curtright, A., Abramzon, S., Burger, N., & Samaras, C. (2013). Estimation of regional air-qualitydamages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania. Environmental Research Letters, 8(1). doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/01401732 Concerned Health Professionals of NY. (2013, February 27). Letter to Governor Cuomo. Retrieved June 10, 2014,from http://concernedhealthny.org/letters-to-governor-cuomo/


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Responsibility. The New York State Medical Society, representing 30,000 medical professionals, has issued similar statements.33

January 2, 2013 – A NOAA study identified emissions from oil and gas fields in Utah asa significant source of pollutants that contribute to ozone problems.34 Exposure toelevated levels of ground-level ozone is known to worsen asthma and has been linked torespiratory illnesses and increased risk of stroke and heart attack.35

December 3, 2012 – A study linked a single well pad in Colorado to more than 50airborne chemicals, 44 of which have known health effects.36

July 18, 2012 – A study by the Houston Advanced Research Center modeled ozone

formation from a natural gas processing facility using accepted emissions estimates andshowed that regular operations could significantly raise levels of ground-level ozone(smog) in the Barnett Shale in Texas and that gas flaring further contributed to ozonelevels.37

March 19, 2012 – A Colorado School of Public Health study found air pollutants nearfracking sites linked to neurological and respiratory problems and cancer.3839 The study, based on three years of monitoring at Colorado sites, found a number of “ potentiallytoxic petroleum hydrocarbons in the air near gas wells including benzene, ethylbenzene,toluene and xylene.” Lisa McKenzie, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and researchassociate at the Colorado School of Public Health, said, “Our data show that it isimportant to include air pollution in the national dialogue on natural gas development thathas focused largely on water exposures to hydraulic fracturing.”40

33 Campbell, J. (2013, April 17). Fracking roundup: Gas prices up; Medical society wants moratorium. Politics onthe Hudson. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2013/04/17/fracking-roundup-gas- prices-up-medical-society-wants-moratorium/34 Tollefson, J. (2013). Methane leaks erode green credentials of natural gas. Nature, 493(7430), 12-12. doi:10.1038/493012a35 American Lung Association. (2013). American Lung Association state of the air 2013 - Ozone pollution.Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/health-risks/health-risks-ozone.html36 Song, L. (2012, December 3). Hazardous air pollutants detected near fracking sites. Bloomberg . Retrieved June10, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-03/hazardous-air-pollutants-detected-near-fracking-sites.html37 Olaguer, E. P. (2012). The potential near-source ozone impacts of upstream oil and gas industry emissions.

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 62(8), 966-977. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2012.68892338 Kelly, D. (2012, March 19). Study shows air emissions near fracking sites may pose health risk. University ofColorado Denver . Retrieved June 10, 2014, fromhttp://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/health-impacts-of-fracking-emissions.aspx39 McKenzie, L. M., Witter, R. Z., Newman, L. S., & Adgate, J. L. (2012). Human health risk assessment of airemissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources. Science of the Total Environment, 424, 79-87.doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.02.01840 Banerjee, N. (2012, March 20). Study: 'Fracking' may increase air pollution health risks. Los Angeles Times.Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/20/local/la-me-gs-fracking-increases-air- pollution-health-risks-to-residents-20120320


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December 12, 2011 – Cancer specialists, cancer advocacy organizations, and healthorganizations summarized the cancer risks posed by all stages of the shale gas extraction process in a letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.41

October 5, 2011 – More than 250 medical experts and health organizations reviewed themultiple health risks from fracking in a letter sent to New York Governor AndrewCuomo.42

April 21, 2011 – Environment & Energy (E&E) reported that ozone levels exceeding

federal health standards in Utah’s Uintah Basin, as well as wintertime ozone problems inother parts of the Intermountain West, stem from oil and gas extraction. Levels reachednearly twice the federal standard, potentially dangerous even for healthy adults to breathe. Keith Guille, spokesman for the Wyoming Department of EnvironmentalQuality, said, “We recognize that definitely the main contributor to the emissions that areout there is the oil and gas industry….”43

March 8, 2011 – The Associated Press reported that gas drilling in some remote areas of

Wyoming caused a decline of air quality from pristine mountain air to levels of smog and pollution worse than Los Angeles on its worst days, resulting in residents complaining ofwatery eyes, shortness of breath and bloody noses.44

November 18, 2010 – A study of air quality in the Haynesville Shale region of east

Texas, northern Louisiana, and southwestern Arkansas found that shale oil and gasextraction activities contributed significantly to ground-level ozone (smog) via highemissions of ozone precursors, including volatile organic compounds and nitrogen

41 Physicians, Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy. (2011, December 12). Appeal to Gov. Cuomo to considercancer risks re: High volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas [Letter to A. Cuomo].42 Physicians, Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy. (2011, October 5). Letter to Governor Cuomo [Letter toA. Cuomo].43 Streater, S. (2011, April 21). Air pollution: Winter ozone problem continues to mystify regulators, industry. E&E Publishing, LLC . Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.eenews.net/stories/105994810844 Gruver, M. (2011, March 8). Wyoming is beset by a big-city problem: Smog. USA Today. Retrieved June 11,2014, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2011-03-08-natural-gas-ozone-wyoming_N.htm


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oxides.45 Ozone is a key risk factor for asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascularillnesses.46 47 48 49

September, 2010 – A health assessment by the Colorado School of Public Health for gasdevelopment in Garfield County, Colorado determined that air pollution will likely “ behigh enough to cause short-term and long-term disease, especially for residents livingnear gas wells. Health effects may include respiratory disease, neurological problems, birth defects and cancer.”50 51

January 27, 2010 – Of 94 drilling sites tested for benzene in air over the Barnett Shale,the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) discovered two well sitesemitting what they determined to be “extremely high levels” and another 19 emittingelevated levels.52

Water contamination

June 25, 2014 – A study by Cornell University researchers found that fracking fluid and

fracking wastewater mobilized previously deposited chemical contaminants in soil

particles in ways that could potentially exacerbate the impacts of fracking fluid spills or

leaks. That research team concluded that, by interfering with the ability of soil to bond to

and sequester pollutants such as heavy metals, fracking fluids may release from soils an

additional repository of contaminants that could migrate into groundwater.53

45 Kemball-Cook, S., Bar-Ilan, A., Grant, J., Parker, L., Jung, J., Santamaria, W., ... Yarwood, G. (2010). OzoneImpacts of Natural Gas Development in the Haynesville Shale. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(24), 9357-

9363. doi: 10.1021/es102113746 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.epa.gov/ncea/isa/ozone.htm47 Kemball-Cook, S., Bar-Ilan, A., Grant, J., Parker, L., Jung, J., Santamaria, W., ... Yarwood, G. (2010). OzoneImpacts of Natural Gas Development in the Haynesville Shale. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(24), 9357-9363. doi: 10.1021/es102113748 McKenzie, L. M., Witter, R. Z., Newman, L. S., & Adgate, J. L. (2012). Human health risk assessment of airemissions from development of unconventional natural gas resources. Science of the Total Environment, 424, 79-87.doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.02.01849 Myers, O., Flowers, H., Kang, H., Bedrick, E., Whorton, B., Cui, X., & Stidley, C. A. (2007). The associationbetween ambient air quality ozone levels and medical visits for asthma in San Juan County (U.S.A., New MexicoDepartment of Health, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau Epidemiology and Response Division).50 Witter, R., McKenzie, L., Towle, M., Stinson, K., Scott, K., Newman, L., & Adgate, J. (2010). Health impact

assessment for Battlement Mesa, Garfield County Colorado. Colorado School of Public Health. Retrieved June 10,2014, from http://www.garfield-county.com/public-health/documents/1%20%20%20Complete%20HIA%20without%20Appendix%20D.pdf51 Battlement Mesa HIA/EHMS. (2013, November 30). Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.garfield-county.com/environmental-health/battlement-mesa-health-impact-assessment-draft2.aspx52 The Associated Press. (2010, January 27). Texas agency finds high benzene levels on Barnett Shale. RetrievedJune 10, 2014, from http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/texas_agency_finds_high_benzen.html53 Sang, W., Stoof, C., Zhang, W., Morales, V., Gao, B., Kay, R., et al. Effect of Hydrofracking Fluid on ColloidTransport in the Unsaturated Zone. Environmental Science & Technology. Retrieved July 4, 2014, fromhttp://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es501441e


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June 23, 2014 – Building on earlier findings that water samples collected from sites withconfirmed fracking spills in Garfield County, Colorado exhibited moderate to high levelsof estrogen and androgen-disrupting activity, a University of Missouri team extendedtheir investigation to other types of hormonal effects. As reported at a joint meeting of theInternational Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society, their research

documented that commonly used fracking chemicals can also block the receptors forthyroid hormone, progesterone, and glucocorticoids (a family of hormones involved in both fertility and immune functioning). Of 24 fracking chemicals tested, all 24 interferedwith the activity of one or more important hormone receptors. There is no known safelevel of exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals.54

May 11, 2014 – According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federalgovernment is failing to inspect thousands of oil and gas wells located on public land,including those that pose special risks of water contamination or other environmentaldamage. An investigation by the Associated Press found that the Bureau of LandManagement (BLM) “had failed to conduct inspections on more than 2,100 of the 3,702

wells that it had specified as ‘high priority’ and drilled from 2009 through 2012. Theagency considers a well ‘high priority’ based on a greater need to protect against possiblewater contamination and other environmental safety issues.”55

March 25, 2014 – An industry-funded study of oil and gas well integrity found that morethan six percent of wells in a major shale exploration region in Pennsylvania showedevidence of leaking and conceded that this number is likely an underestimate.Researchers concluded that the percentage of wells with some form of well barrier orintegrity failure is highly variable and could be as high as 75 percent. A separate analysisin the same study found 85 examples of cement or casing failures in Pennsylvania wellsmonitored between 2008 and 2011.56

March 7, 2014 – In a comprehensive evaluation, Duke University scientists andcolleagues reviewed the state of knowledge on possible effects of shale gas and hydraulicfracturing on water resources in the United States and concluded, “Analysis of publisheddata (through January 2014) reveals evidence for stray gas contamination, surface waterimpacts in areas of intensive shale gas development, and the accumulation of radium

54 The Endocrine Society (2014). Hormone-disrupting activity of fracking chemicals worse than initially found.Science Daily, June 23, 2014 Retrieved from:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140623103939.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_health+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+Health+News%2955 Yen, H. (2014, May 11). Fed govt failed to inspect higher risk oil wells. Associated Press. Retrieved June 9, 2014,from http://bigstory.ap.org/article/fed-govt-failed-inspect-higher-risk-oil-wells56 Davies, R. J., Almond, S., Ward, R. S., Jackson, R. B., Adams, C., Worrall, F., ... Whitehead, M. A. (2014). Oiland gas wells and their integrity: Implications for shale and unconventional resource exploitation. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 56 , 239-254. doi: 10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.03.001


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isotopes in some disposal and spill sites.”57

February 19, 2014 – A Pennsylvania court found a gas corporation guilty of

contaminating a woman’s drinking water well in Bradford County. Methane levels after

fracking were 1,300 to 2,000 times higher than baseline, according to the court brief. Iron

levels and turbidity had also increased. The brief stated, “In short, Jacqueline Place livedfor ten months deprived totally of the use of her well, and even after its ‘restoration,’ has

been burdened with a water supply with chronic contamination, requiring constant

vigilance and ongoing monitoring.”58

January 16, 2014 – Data from the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission showed that

fracking-related chemical spills in Colorado exceed an average rate of one spill per day.

Of the 495 chemical spills that occurred in that state over a one-year period of time,

nearly a quarter impacted ground or surface water. Sixty-three of the spills spread within

1,500 feet of pigs, sheep and cows, and 225 spread within 1,500 feet of buildings.59

January 10, 2014 – Duke University water tests revealed ongoing water contamination in

Parker County, Texas, providing evidence that EPA had prematurely ended its prior

investigation into the water contamination.60 A letter sent to the EPA from more than 200

environmental organizations called on the EPA to re-open its investigation.61

January 5, 2014 – An Associated Press investigation into drinking water contamination

from fracking in four states — Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas — found

many cases of confirmed water contamination and hundreds more complaints. The

Associated Press noted that their analysis “casts doubt on industry view that it rarely

happens.”

62

57 Vengosh, A., Jackson, R. B., Warner, N., Darrah, T. H., & Kondash, A. (2014). A critical review of the risks towater resources from unconventional shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing in the United States [Abstract]. Environmental Science & Technology. doi: 10.1021/es405118y58 Gibbons, B. (2014, February 19). Woman wins case against Chesapeake Jaqueline Place of Terry Township toreceive compensation for well contamination. Thedailyreview.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://thedailyreview.com/news/woman-wins-case-against-chesapeake-jaqueline-place-of-terry-township-to-receive-compensation-for-well-contamination-1.163683259 Tomasic, J. (2014, January 16). Colorado drilling data: More than a spill a day | The Colorado Independent. TheColorado Independent . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.coloradoindependent.com/145629/colorado-

drilling-data-more-than-a-spill-a-day60 Drajem, M. (2014, January 9). Duke fracking tests reveal dangers driller's data missed. Bloomberg . Retrieved June9, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-10/epa-s-reliance-on-driller-data-for-water-irks-homeowners.html61 Drajem, M. (2014, January 27). EPA needs fracking review: 'Gasland' maker, environmentalists. Bloomberg .Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://go.bloomberg.com/political-capital/2014-01-27/epa-needs-fracking-review-gasland-producer-environmentalists-say/.62 Begos, K. (2014, January 05). 4 states confirm water pollution from drilling. USA Today. Retrieved June 9, 2014,from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/05/some-states-confirm-water-pollution-from-drilling/4328859/


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December 24, 2013 – A report from the EPA Inspector General concluded that evidence

of fracking-related water contamination in Parker County, Texas was sound and faulted

the EPA for prematurely ending its investigation there, relying on faulty water testing

data from the gas industry in doing so, and failure to intervene when affected residents’

drinking water remained unsafe.63 As reported by Business Insider , “The EPA Screwed

Up When It Dropped This Fracking Investigation.”64

December 16, 2013 – Lead by Susan Nagel of the University of Missouri School ofMedicine, researchers documented endocrine-disrupting properties in chemicalscommonly used as ingredients of fracking fluid and found similar endocrine-disruptingactivity in groundwater and surface water samples collected near drilling and frackingsites in Garfield County, Colorado. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere withthe activity of hormones in the body and, at very low concentrations, can raise the risk ofreproductive, metabolic, and neurological disorders, especially when exposures occur inearly life. 65 66 67

December 7, 2013 – Reporting on the second gas leak at a single gas well in one month,the Fort Worth Star-Telegram uncovered another inherent risk of fracking forgroundwater contamination: Silica sand, which is used as an ingredient in fracking fluidfor its ability to prop open the shale fractures, can damage steel pipes as it flows back upthe well along with the gas. According to Dan Hill, head of the petroleum engineeringdepartment at Texas A&M University, new wells are the most susceptible to sand erosion because “the amount of sand and gas rushing through valves and flow lines is at itsgreatest when a well first goes into production.”68

November 28, 2013 – An Associated Press investigation uncovered nearly 300 oil

pipeline spills in North Dakota in the previous ten months, all with no public notification.

These were among some 750 “oil field incidents” that had occurred in the state over thesame time period, also without public notification. Until the AP inquiry, industry andstate officials had kept quiet about one particular “massive spill” that had been

63 Banjeree, N. (2013, December 24). EPA report on fracking in Texas raises new concerns. Los Angeles Times.Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-epa-fracking-20131225,0,6042944.story#ixzz2oVB9FXVY64 Miedema, D. (2013, December 25). The EPA screwed up when it dropped this fracking investigation. Business Insider . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-criticized-for-dropping-fracking-investigation-2013-1265 Kassotis, C. D., Tillitt, D. E., Davis, J. W., Hormann, A. M., & Nagel, S. C. (2013). Estrogen and androgen

receptor activities of hydraulic fracturing chemicals and surface and ground water in a drilling-dense region. Endocrinology. doi: 10.1210/en.2013-169766 Banerjee, N. (2013, December 16). Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in water at fracking sites. Los AngelesTimes. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/16/science/la-sci-fracking-health-2013121767 Endocrine Society. (2013, December 16). Fracking chemicals disrupt hormone function. ScienceDaily. RetrievedJune 11, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131216140428.htm68 Hirst, C., & Fuquay, J. (2013, December 7). Second leak reported at east Fort Worth gas well site. Star-Telegram.Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/07/5399740/second-leak-reported-at-east-fort.html?rh=1


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accidentally discovered by a wheat farmer. Even small spills can contaminate watersources permanently and take cropland out of production.69

November 26, 2013 – A U.S. Geological Survey report found serious impacts of frackingon watersheds and water quality throughout the Appalachian Basin, as well as issues withradiation and seismic events. As noted in the report, the knowledge of how extractionaffects water resources has not kept pace with the technology.70 71 Meanwhile, clean freshwater is becoming an increasingly scant resource. A report from the U.S. StateDepartment found that the United States will face a serious freshwater shortage by 2030,with demand exceeding supply by 40 percent.72

November 22, 2013 – A U.S. Geological Survey study of pollution from oil production in North Dakota, where horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are heavily used,identified two potential plumes of groundwater contamination covering 12 square miles.The cause was traced to a casing failure in a wastewater disposal well. Drillingcompanies had incorrectly assumed that, once injected underground, the wastewaterwould remain contained. According to EnergyWire, the development of the Bakken oil

formation is “leaving behind an imprint on the land as distinct as the ones left by thereceding ice sheets of the ice age.”73

September 10, 2013 – Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane filed criminalcharges against Exxon Mobil Corporation’s subsidiary, XTO Energy Corporation, for aspill of 50,000 gallons of toxic drilling wastewater in 2010 that contaminated a springand a tributary of the Susquehanna River. In July, XTO settled civil charges for theincident without admitting liability by agreeing to pay a $100,000 fine and improve itswastewater management.74

September 10, 2013 – Out of concern for risks posed to drinking water in our nation’s

capital, George Hawkins, general manager of DC Water, Washington, DC’s local water provider, called for a prohibition on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in the

69 MacPherson, J. (2013, October 28). Nearly 300 pipeline spills in North Dakota have gone unreported to the publicsince January 2012. Huffington Post . Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/28/pipeline-spills-north-dakota_n_4170133.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp0000000370 Kappel, W. M., Williams, J. H., & Szabo, Z. (2013). Water resources and shale gas/oil production in theAppalachian Basin - Critical issues and evolving developments. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved June 9, 2014,from http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1137/pdf/ofr2013-1137.pdf

71 Mall, A. (2013, November 26). New USGS analysis: Threats to water, wildlife, and health from oil and gasdevelopment in the Appalachian basin [Web log post]. Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/new_usgs_analysis.html72 A freshwater shortage is expected in the US by 2030. (2013, September 8). MSN Now. Retrieved June 11, 2014,from http://now.msn.com/freshwater-shortage-in-us-will-reach-a-worrying-stage-by-2030-1#scpshrtu73 Vaidyanathan, G. (2013, November 22). Bakken shale: As oil production sets in, pollution starts to migrate --scientists. E&E Publishing, LLC . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.eenews.net/stories/105999089274 Maykuth, A. (2013, September 13). Shale criminal charges stun drilling industry. Philly.com. Retrieved June 9,2014, from http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-13/news/42012429_1_xto-energy-inc-criminal-charges-attorney-general


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George Washington National Forest until the process can be proven safe.75 The PotomacRiver is the source of the District’s water supply and has its headwaters in the GeorgeWashington National Forest, which sits atop the Marcellus Shale. The general managersof Fairfax Water, provider of drinking water for Fairfax County, Virginia, and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers have called for a similar prohibition.76

September 3, 2013 – The North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources voiced concernabout an increasing number of fracking well blowouts (23 incidents in the past year) thatresult in spills and public safety threats.77

August 28, 2013 – A joint U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicestudy documented a causal link between a fracking wastewater spill and the widespreaddeath of fish in the Acorn Fork, a creek in Kentucky.78

July 25, 2013 – A University of Texas at Arlington study of drinking water foundelevated levels of arsenic and other heavy metals in some samples from private drinkingwater wells located within 5 km of active natural gas wells in the Barnett Shale.79 80

July 3, 2013 – ProPublica reported that the EPA was wrong to have halted itsinvestigation of water contamination in Wyoming, Texas and Pennsylvania — where highlevels of benzene, methane, arsenic, oil, methane, copper, vanadium and other chemicalsassociated with fracking operations have been documented.81 Although numerousorganizations and health professionals around the country have since called on the agencyto resume its investigation, no action has been taken.

June 6, 2013 – Bloomberg News reported,

In cases from Wyoming to Arkansas, Pennsylvania to Texas, drillers have agreed to

cash settlements or property buyouts with people who say hydraulic fracturing, also

known as fracking, ruined their water according to a review by Bloomberg News ofhundreds of regulatory and legal filings. In most cases homeowners must agree to

75 Letter from George Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water, to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack,(Sept. 10, 2013), http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/09/20/dc-water-chief-urges-agriculture-secretary-not-to-allow-fracking-near-d-c/ 76 Wiener, A. (2013, September 20). DC Water Chief urges Agriculture Secretary not to allow fracking near D.C.Washington City Paper . Retrieved June 11, 2014, fromhttp://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/09/20/dc-water-chief-urges-agriculture-secretary-not-to-allow-fracking-near-d-c/77 Sun Staff. (2013, September 3). More blowouts a concern for N.D. The Jamestown Sun. Retrieved June 9, 2014,from http://www.jamestownsun.com/content/more-blowouts-concern-nd

78 Papoulias, D., & MacKenzie, T. (2013, August 28). Hydraulic fracturing fluids likely harmed threatenedKentucky fish species. USGS Newsroom. Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=367779 Fontenot, B. E., Hunt, L. R., Hildenbrand, Z. L., Jr., D. D., Oka, H., Walton, J. L., ... Schug, K. A. (2013). AnEvaluation of Water Quality in Private Drinking Water Wells Near Natural Gas Extraction Sites in the Barnett ShaleFormation. Environmental Science & Technology, 47 (17), 10032-10040. doi: 10.1021/es401172480 Id.81 Lustgarten, A. (2013, July 3). EPA’s abandoned Wyoming fracking study one retreat of many. ProPublica.Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.propublica.org/article/epas-abandoned-wyoming-fracking-study-one-retreat-of-many


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keep quiet. The strategy keeps data from regulators, policymakers, the news media

and health researchers, and makes it difficult to challenge the industry’ s claim that

fracking has never tainted anyone’ s water.

Bloomberg quoted Aaron Bernstein, associate director of the Center for Health and theGlobal Environment at the Harvard School of Public Health, saying that non-disclosureagreements “have interfered with the ability of scientists and public health experts tounderstand what is at stake here.”82 The EPA also long ago noted how non-disclosureagreements challenge scientific progress and keep examples of drilling harm secret fromthe public. In a 1987 report, the EPA wrote,

Very often damage claims against oil and gas operators are settled out of court, andinformation on known damage cases has often been sealed through agreements

between landowners and oil companies. This is typical practice, for instance, in

Texas. In some cases, even the records of well-publicized damage incidents arealmost entirely unavailable for review. In addition to concealing the nature and size

of any settlement entered into between the parties, impoundment curtails access to

scientific and administrative documentation of the incident .83

June 3, 2013 – A study by Duke University researchers linked fracking with elevatedlevels of methane, ethane, and propane in nearby groundwater.84 Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study included results from 141northeastern Pennsylvania water wells. Methane levels were, on average, six times higherin drinking water wells closer to drilling sites when compared with those farther away,while ethane was 23 times higher.85

May 19, 2013 – In Pennsylvania, the Scranton Times-Tribune released details of aninvestigation that revealed at least 161 cases of water contamination from fracking between 2008 and the fall of 2012, according to state Department of EnvironmentalProtection records.86

April 2013 – Researchers analyzing publicly available Colorado data found 77 surfacespills impacting groundwater in Weld County alone. Samples of these spills oftenexceeded drinking water maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for benzene, toluene,

82 Efstathiou, J., Jr., & Drajem, M. (2013, June 5). Drillers Silence Fracking Claims With Sealed Settlements. Bloomberg . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-06/drillers-silence-fracking-claims-with-sealed-settlements.html83 Environmental Protection Agency. (1987). Report to Congress: Management of wastes from the exploration,

development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy (Rep.). 137-138. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.84 Jackson, R. B., Vengosh, A., Darrah, T. H., Warner, N. R., Down, A., Poreda, R. J., ... Karr, J. D. (2013).Increased stray gas abundance in a subset of drinking water wells near Marcellus shale gas extraction. Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences, 110(28), 11250-11255. doi: 10.1073/pnas.122163511085 CBS/AP. (2013, June 25). Methane found in Pa. drinking water near fracked wells. CBS News. Retrieved June 9,2014, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/methane-found-in-pa-drinking-water-near-fracked-wells/86 Legere, L. (2013, May 19). Sunday Times review of DEP drilling records reveals water damage, murky testingmethods. The Times-Tribune. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/sunday-times-review-of-dep-drilling-records-reveals-water-damage-murky-testing-methods-1.1491547


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ethylbenzene and xylene; for benzene, a known carcinogen, 90% of the samples exceededthe legal limit.87

March 4, 2013 – Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of PublicHealth analyzed samples of gas drilling wastewater discharged to surface water throughwastewater treatment plants. Barium, strontium, bromides, chlorides, and benzene allexceeded levels known to cause human health impacts.88

December 9, 2012 – State data in Colorado showed more than 350 instances ofgroundwater contamination resulting from more than 2,000 spills from oil and gasoperations over the past five years. Further, as the Denver Post reported, “Contaminationof groundwater — along with air emissions, truck traffic and changed landscapes — hasspurred public concerns about drilling along Colorado’s Front Range.”89

May, 2012 – A report by researchers at Natural Resources Defense Council and CarnegieMellon University found that the options available for dealing with fracking wastewaterare inadequate to protect public health and the environment, resulting in increasing

quantities of toxic wastewater as an ongoing problem without a good solution.90

January 11, 2012 – The U.S. Geological Survey found that the Marcellus Shale is alreadyhighly fractured and that numerous fissures naturally occurring within the formationcould potentially provide pathways for contaminants to migrate vertically into watersupplies.91

October 17, 2011 – Thomas P. Jacobus, General Manager of the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers’ Washington Aqueduct, that provides drinking water to Washington, DC,Arlington County, Virginia, and Falls Church, Virginia, called for a prohibition onhorizontal hydraulic fracturing in the George Washington National Forest because ofconcern that fracking poses risks to drinking water. The Washington Aqueduct — which provides drinking water to Washington, DC, Arlington County, Virginia, and FallsChurch, Virginia — is supplied by the Potomac River, which has its headwaters in theGeorge Washington National Forest that sits atop the Marcellus Shale. Jacobus said,“Enough study on the technique [hydraulic fracturing] has been published to give us great

87 Gross, S. A., Avens, H. J., Banducci, A. M., Sahmel, J., Panko, J. M., & Tvermoes, B. E. (2013). Analysis ofBTEX groundwater concentrations from surface spills associated with hydraulic fracturing operations. Journal ofthe Air & Waste Management Association, 63(4), 424-432. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2012.75916688 Ferrar, K. J., Michanowicz, D. R., Christen, C. L., Mulcahy, N., Malone, S. L., & Sharma, R. K. (2013).Assessment of effluent contaminants from three facilities discharging Marcellus shale wastewater to surface waters

in Pennsylvania. Environmental Science & Technology, 47 (7), 3472-3481. doi: 10.1021/es301411q89 Finley, B. (2012, December 9). Drilling spills reaching Colorado groundwater; state mulls test rules. The Denver Post . Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.denverpost.com/environment/ci_22154751/drilling-spills-reaching-colorado-groundwater-state-mulls-test#ixzz2EihHU2fg90 Hammer, R., & VanBriesen, J. (2012, May). In fracking’s wake: New rules are needed to protect our health andenvironment from contaminated wastewater (Rep.). Retrieved June 11, 2014, from National Resource DefenceCouncil website: http://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/fracking-wastewater-fullreport.pdf91 U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center. (2012, January 11). Comments on the revised draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement (Rep.). Retrieved June 11, 2014, fromhttp://www.ewg.org/sites/default/files/report/ReviseddraftSGEIS_USGScomments_Version3_0.pdf


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cause for concern about the potential for degradation of the quality of our raw watersupply….”92

October 11, 2011 – Charles M. Murray, General Manager of Fairfax Water, the water provider for Fairfax County, Virginia, called for a prohibition on horizontal hydraulicfracturing in the George Washington National Forest. “Natural gas development activitieshave the potential to impact the quantity and quality of Fairfax Water’s source water,”Murray wrote. “Downstream water users and consumers will bear the economic burden if

drinking water sources are contaminated or the quality of our source water supply isdegraded.”93

September 7, 2011 – In its draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement(SGEIS), the NYS DEC acknowledged that “there is questionable available capacity”94 for New York ’s public sewage treatment plants to accept drilling wastewater, yet theagency said that it would allow those facilities to accept such waste if the plants meet permitting conditions.95 The NYS DEC proposed underground injection as onealternative to sewage treatment procession of fracking waste. Although it is a common

method of disposal for fracking wastewater,96 the last significant government study of pollution risks from oil and gas wastewater injection wells occurred in 1989 and foundmultiple cases of costly groundwater contamination.97 In subsequent years, studies havecontinued to link underground injection of drilling wastewater to pollution as well asearthquakes.98

September, 2011 – A team led by Theo Colburn of the Endocrine Disruptor Exchangefound that 25 percent of chemicals known to be used in fracking fluids are implicated incancer, 37 percent could disrupt the endocrine system, and 40 to 50 percent could cause

92 Jacobus, T. P. (2012, April 25). Draft environmental impact statment for the George Washington National Forest

[Letter written October 17, 2011 to K. Landgraf]. Retrieved June 11, 2014, fromhttp://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5366331.pdf93 Murray, C. M. (n.d.). Draft environmental impact statment for the George Washington National Forest [Letterwritten October 11, 2013 to K. Landgraf]. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.svnva.org/wp-content/uploads/fairfax-wash-aquaduct-gwnf-comments.pdf94 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2011). Supplemental generic environmental impact statement on the oil, gas and solution mining regulatory program, well permit issuance for horizontal drilling and

high-volume hydraulic fracturing to develop the Marcellus shale and other low-permeability gas reservoirs (6-62,Rep.).95 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2011). Supplemental generic environmental impact statement on the oil, gas and solution mining regulatory program, well permit issuance for horizontal drilling and

high-volume hydraulic fracturing to develop the Marcellus shale and other low-permeability gas reservoirs (6-57through 6-63, Rep.).

96 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. (2011). Supplemental generic environmental impact statement on the oil, gas and solution mining regulatory program, well permit issuance for horizontal drilling and

high-volume hydraulic fracturing to develop the Marcellus shale and other low-permeability gas reservoirs (6-64,Rep.).97 United States Government Accountability Office. (1989, July 5). Drinking water: Safeguards are not preventingcontamination from injected oil and gas wastes. Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.gao.gov/products/RCED-89-9798 Fountain, H. (2012, January 01). Disposal halted at well after new quake in Ohio. The New York Times. RetrievedJune 10, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/science/earth/youngstown-injection-well-stays-shut-after-earthquake.html


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nervous, immune and cardiovascular system problems. The research team also found thatand more than 75 percent could affect the skin, eyes and respiratory system, resulting invarious problems such as skin and eye irritation or flu-like symptoms.99

August 4, 2011 – As reported by The New York Times, the EPA had alerted Congress in1987 about a case of water contamination caused by fracking. Its report documented thata shale gas well hydraulically fractured at a depth of more than 4,200 feet contaminated awater supply only 400 feet from the surface.100 101 102

May 17, 2011 – The state of Pennsylvania fined Chesapeake Energy Corp. $900,000 foran incident in which improper cementing and casing in one of the company’s gas wells

allowed methane to migrate underground and contaminate 16 private drinking waterwells in Bradford County.103

May 9, 2011 – A Duke University study documented “systematic evidence for methanecontamination of drinking water associated with shale gas extraction.” The study showed that methane levels were 17 times higher in water wells near drilling sites than in water

wells in areas without active drilling.104

January 2011 – A team of scientists led by a University of Central Arkansas researchercalled attention to the threat posed to surface waters by rapidly expanding shale gasdevelopment, noting a lack of data collection accompanying the rush to drill. “Gas wellsare often close to surface waters that could be impacted by elevated sediment runoff from pipelines and roads, alteration of stream flow as a result of water extraction, andcontamination from introduced chemicals or the resulting wastewater.”105

April 29, 2010 – In 2010, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission finedOXY USA a record $390,000 for an incident of pollution, discovered in 2008, when its

drilling wastes leaked through an unlined pit, contaminated two springs with benzene and polluted other nearby water sources. In addition, the regulators separately fined OXYUSA $257,400 for a nearby case of pollution, also discovered in 2008, in which a torn

99 Colborn, T., Kwiatkowski, C., Schultz, K., & Bachran, M. (2011). Natural Gas Operations from a Public HealthPerspective. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 17 (5), 1039-1056. doi:10.1080/10807039.2011.605662100 Urbina, I. (2011, August 4). A tainted water well, and concern there may be more. Retrieved June 11, 2014, fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/us/04natgas.html101 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (1987). Report to Congress: Management of wastes from theexploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy (Rep.). 4-22, 4-23.

Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=20012D4P.PDF102 Horwitt, D. (2011, August 3). Cracks in the facade. Environmental Working Group. Retrieved June 11, 2014,from http://www.ewg.org/research/cracks-façade103 Levy, M. (2011, May 18). DEP fines Chesapeake $1 million. Pressconnects.com. Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://www.pressconnects.com/viewart/20110517/NEWS01/105170345/DEP-fines-Chesapeake-1-million104 Duke University. (2011). Methane levels 17 times higher in water wells near hydrofracking sites, study finds.ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110509151234.htm105 Entrekin, S., Evans-White, M., Johnson, B., & Hagenbuch, E. (2011). Rapid expansion of natural gasdevelopment poses a threat to surface waters. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 9(9), 503-511. doi:10.1890/110053


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liner in a pit caused drilling waste fluids to leak out and contaminate two springs with benzene.106

April 22, 2011 – Describing one of many blowouts, the Associated Press reported on ashale gas well in Canton, Pennsylvania that spewed thousands of gallons of chemical-laced water on farmland and into a stream for two consecutive days before being broughtunder control.107

January 31, 2011 – As part of a year-long investigation into hydraulic fracturing and its potential impact on water quality, U.S. Representatives Henry Waxman (D-Calif.),Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) reported that “between 2005and 2009, oil and gas service companies injected 32.2 million gallons of diesel fuel orhydraulic fracturing fluids containing diesel fuel in wells in 19 states.” Furthermore,revealing apparent widespread violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the investigationfound that no oil and gas service companies had sought — and no state or federalregulators had issued — permits for the use of diesel fuel in hydraulic fracturing.108

June 5, 2009 – A leaking pipe carrying fracking waste in Washington County,Pennsylvania, polluted a tributary of Cross Creek Lake, killing fish, salamanders,crayfish and aquatic insect life in approximately three-quarters of a mile of the stream.109

April 26, 2009 – Officials in three states linked water contamination and methane leaks togas drilling Incidents included a case in Ohio where a house exploded after gas seepedinto its water well and multiple cases of exploding drinking water wells in Dimock,PA.110

November 13, 2008 – ProPublica reported more than 1,000 cases of drilling-relatedcontamination documented by courts and state and local governments in Colorado, NewMexico, Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania.111

December 15, 2007 – In Bainbridge, Ohio, a gas well that was improperly cemented and

106 Webb, D. (2010, April 29). Record fine, second one against Oxy approved | GJSentinel.com. Grand JunctionSentinel . Retrieved June 11, 2014, from http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/record-fine-second-one-against-oxy-approved 107 The Associated Press. (2011, April 22). Crews stop flow of drilling fluid from Pennsylvania well. Syracuse.com.Retrieved June 9, 2014, fromhttp://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/crews_stop_flow_of_drilling_fl.html108 Waxman, H. A., Markey, E. J., & DeGette, D. (2011, January 31). Committee on Energy & Commerce (U.S.A.,Congress, Committee on Energy & Commerce). Retrieved June 9, 2014, from

http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?q=news/waxman-markey-and-degette-investigation-finds-continued-use-of-diesel-in-hydraulic-fracturing-f109 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (2009, June 5). Waste from Marcellus shale drilling in Cross Creek Park kills fish. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.post-gazette.com/washington/2009/06/05/Waste-from-Marcellus-shale-drilling-in-Cross-Creek-Park-kills-fish/stories/200906050136110 Lustgarten, A. (2009, April 26). Officials in three states pin water woes on gas drilling. ProPublica. RetrievedJune 9, 2014, from http://www.propublica.org/article/officials-in-three-states-pin-water-woes-on-gas-drilling-426111 Lustgarten, A. (2008, November 13). Buried secrets: Is natural gas drilling endangering U.S. water supplies? ProPublica. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.propublic

Compendium of scientific, medical & media findings demostrating risks & harms of fracking

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